LAKE ERIE BEACH GLASS "offers ONLY authentic sea beach glass that has been tumbled by nature's wind, surf, and sand! We create beautiful jewelry designs from the pieces that we pick up off the shore just as they were found!"
Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started.Lakeeriebeachglass.etsy.com is stocked with handmade artisan jewerly that uses genuine sea beach glass as its main element. Sea Beach glass is old glass that once served a purpose as dinnerware, tableware, apothecary, medicine, and poison bottles. It may have been used as fruit and canning jars, or even whiskey and liqour bottles. Whatever their original purpose, they have found their way into the oceans and lakes where nature tumbled it for several years into smoothly frosted little gems. They are depostied on the shores where my family and I collect them and make unique wearable pieces of art with them.
What motivated you to open your shop? I opened a shop on Etsy after hearing about the site from a fellow artisan at a local festival.
How did you select your name? Selecting a name proved to be very difficult, actually! I had tried to come up with something catchy and unique but since I started my business during a time when sea glass was barely known, I decided that I should go with a name that links it to what I do.
What makes your shop unique?I think my shop is unique in several ways. I am able to take something that was once considered trash and give it new purpose by making it into something new. I try to reach a wide variety of buyers as well by offering designs made in simplest form to classic and even off the wall unique!
Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where? I actually started out on eBay and have participated in a few craft shows. I currently am featured at Pure Art Gallery in the Cayman Islands, at Glass Growers Gallery in Erie, Pa. and at The Kada Gallery also in Erie Pa. I am an active North American Sea Glass Association member and will be participating in the Sea Glass Festival this year in October at Lewes Delaware on the University Campus.
How long have you been making your craft?I've been collecting and using sea beach glass in my creations for the past 7 years now.
Is it your full-time job? How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?I quite my secular job only 4 years ago after having my 3rd child. I currently have four children ranging from age 2 to 15 years of age. I run my business full time, homeschool my children full time, and run a household full time. How do I manage? I sometimes wonder that myself!:) It is difficult to explain but I DO try to have an organized daily schedule of activities. I HAVE to be flexible enough in the schedule to allow for my childrens different needs by age. They too are also a part of my business and enjoy taking breaks down by the beach!
What is your favorite material.* I love using sterling silver and copper!
What inspires you?I am inspired by different things daily! I sometimes call myself the moody jeweler! I can receive a magazine in the mail that will have an awesome picture on the front using a unique color scheme and that will inspire me. My walks on the beach and viewing our Lake Erie sunsets will inspire me. Hearing the children play, laugh, and giggle will inspire me. My inpsiration comes from all around me and it effects my mood. My mood determines what I will produce for the day.
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